Sootblowing is a process in which supersonic steam jets are used to periodically blast deposits off heat transfer tubes in kraft recovery boilers. However, sootblowing significantly consumes the valuable high pressure steam generated by the boiler, hence it should be optimized. A recovery boiler consists of three convective sections - superheater, generating bank and economizer. The tube arrangement in these sections, particularly the tube spacing is different from each other. Moreover, tubes in an economizer are finned. A sootblower jet will interact differently with these tube arrangements, potentially affecting its strength, and hence deposit removal capability. The objective of this work was to characterize jet/tube interaction in the three sections of a recovery boiler. Lab-scale experiments were conducted in which these interactions were visualized using the schlieren technique coupled with high-speed video, and were quantified by pitot pressure measurements. This work is the first to visualize the interactions. The offset between the jet and tube centrelines, the nozzle exit diameter relative to the tube diameter, and the distance between the nozzle and tube were varied to examine their effects on jet/tube interaction. Results showed that due to the very low spreading rate of a supersonic jet, a jet (primary jet) stops interacting with a superheater platen when the jet is only a small distance away from it. When the jet impinges on a tube, the jet deflects at an angle, giving rise to a weaker ‘secondary’ jet. Due to the large inter-platen spacing, a secondary jet has an insignificant impact in a superheater. In a generating bank, the primary jet weakens between the closely spaced tubes due to increased mixing. However, a secondary jet impinges on the adjacent tubes exerting a high impact pressure on those tubes. The primary jet also weakens between finned economizer tubes, but remains stronger for a greater distance than in a generating bank. As in the case inside a generating bank, a secondary jet also impinges on adjacent rows of tubes in an economizer. The results imply that in a superheater, a sootblower jet must be directed close to the platens to yield useful jet/deposit interactions, and to avoid wasting steam by blowing between the platens. In a generating bank, deposits beyond the first few tubes of a row experience a weaker sootblower jet, and thus may not be removed effectively. However, secondary jets may contribute to removing deposits from the first few adjacent tubes. They may also induce erosion-corrosion of those tubes. Secondary jets may also help remove deposits from adjacent rows in a finned tube economizer. In an economizer, the strength and hence, the deposit removal capability of a sootblower jet diminish only slightly beyond the supersonic portion of the jet. A mathematical model was also developed to determine the feasibility of using inclined sootblower nozzles in recovery boiler superheaters, and suggests that it may be possible to clean superheater platens more effectively with slightly inclined nozzles.

Sootblowing is a process in which supersonic steam jets are used to periodically blast deposits off heat transfer tubes in kraft recovery boilers. However, sootblowing significantly consumes the valuable high pressure steam generated by the boiler, hence it should be optimized. A recovery boiler consists of three convective sections - superheater, generating bank and economizer. The tube arrangement in these sections, particularly the tube spacing is different from each other. Moreover, tubes in an economizer are finned. A sootblower jet will interact differently with these tube arrangements, potentially affecting its strength, and hence deposit removal capability. The objective of this work was to characterize jet/tube interaction in the three sections of a recovery boiler. Lab-scale experiments were conducted in which these interactions were visualized using the schlieren technique coupled with high-speed video, and were quantified by pitot pressure measurements. This work is the first to visualize the interactions. The offset between the jet and tube centrelines, the nozzle exit diameter relative to the tube diameter, and the distance between the nozzle and tube were varied to examine their effects on jet/tube interaction. Results showed that due to the very low spreading rate of a supersonic jet, a jet (primary jet) stops interacting with a superheater platen when the jet is only a small distance away from it. When the jet impinges on a tube, the jet deflects at an angle, giving rise to a weaker ‘secondary’ jet. Due to the large inter-platen spacing, a secondary jet has an insignificant impact in a superheater. In a generating bank, the primary jet weakens between the closely spaced tubes due to increased mixing. However, a secondary jet impinges on the adjacent tubes exerting a high impact pressure on those tubes. The primary jet also weakens between finned economizer tubes, but remains stronger for a greater distance than in a generating bank. As in the case inside a generating bank, a secondary jet also impinges on adjacent rows of tubes in an economizer. The results imply that in a superheater, a sootblower jet must be directed close to the platens to yield useful jet/deposit interactions, and to avoid wasting steam by blowing between the platens. In a generating bank, deposits beyond the first few tubes of a row experience a weaker sootblower jet, and thus may not be removed effectively. However, secondary jets may contribute to removing deposits from the first few adjacent tubes. They may also induce erosion-corrosion of those tubes. Secondary jets may also help remove deposits from adjacent rows in a finned tube economizer. In an economizer, the strength and hence, the deposit removal capability of a sootblower jet diminish only slightly beyond the supersonic portion of the jet. A mathematical model was also developed to determine the feasibility of using inclined sootblower nozzles in recovery boiler superheaters, and suggests that it may be possible to clean superheater platens more effectively with slightly inclined nozzles.

The EU waste hierarchy includes energy recovery facilities where waste is used as fuel in combined heat- and powerplants. When waste is incinerated can the thermal energy be used in for example, district heating networks and or electricity generation. The purpose of the degree project is to make a pre-study of Heat Management's system solution HISS, optimization of steam soot blowing at Mälarenergi's waste boiler. Waste is a heterogeneous fuel that typically contains a variety of substances such as alkali, chlorine and heavy metals that often contribute to fouling on heat transfer surfaces. These coatings reduce the efficiency of heat transferring surfaces such as superheaters. Cleaning by soot blowing using steam is done at regular intervals to maintain efficiency. Superheater cleaning on the Block 6 is done by retractable rotating soot blowers equipped with a nozzle from where steam is sprayed out at pressure of 25 bar. The blowers are inserted one at a time in a sequence, which means that they wait for the previous blower before the next one can enter. Steam is taken from the main process, which leads to reduction in load on the turbine and causes wear during the sweeping process due to the high impact force. This can lead to erosive damage and thinning of the material on the tubes, thus shortening the lifespan of the superheaters. The optimisation adjusts the soot sequence so that full steam pressure is used only in one direction of travel of the lance, this allows an overlapping soot sequence to be used and thus halves the time required for sooting. Analysis of shorter sooting time and reduced steam consumption based on production data and case studies has led to the following results. The energy consumption of the auxiliary power is reduced by 14.25 MWh per sweeping sequence and 7 115.5 MWh annually. The turbine can produce 2.51 MWh more electricity per sweeping as the time it runs at reduced load is reduced, totalling 1 254.39 MWh in one year. 24.03 tonnes of steam are saved per sweeping and 12 003 tonnes in one year. Payback time for the optimisation is 1.01 years based on an average spot price from Mälarenergi's budgeting from last year. Considering current electricity prices could the payback time be further reduced. The conclusion from the pre-study is that the optimisation as the investment is economically viable and has other positive benefits such as: steadier steam flow and reduced pressure surges. Wear and tear on superheaters are reduced as they are only sprayed with high pressure once instead of twice per sweeping sequence. / I EU:s avfallshierarki ingår energiåtervinningsanläggningar där avfall används som bränsle i förbränningsanläggningar. Vid förbränning utav avfall så kan den utvunna termiska energin användas exempelvis i fjärrvärmenät och- eller generering utav el. Examensarbetets syfte är att göra en förstudie på Heat managements systemlösning HISS, optimering utav ångsotning på Block 6 som är Mälarenergis avfallspanna. Avfall är ett heterogent bränsle som typiskt innehåller en mängd olika ämnen som alkali, klor och tungmetaller som ofta bidrar till att beläggningar bildas på värmeöverförningsytor. Dessa beläggningar försämrar ytors värmeöverförningsverkningsgrad på till exempel överhettare. Rengöring i form av ångsotning görs i jämna intervall för att hålla verkningsgraden uppe. Sotning av överhettare på Block 6 skes av en utdragbar, roterande sotlans utrustad med en dysa där ånga sprutas ut med 25 bars tryck. Lansarna körs in en åt gången i en sekvens vilket innebär att dem väntar på föregående lans innan nästa kan köras. Ångan som används tas från huvudprocessen vilket medför reducerad last på turbinen och dessutom uppstår slitage vid sotningen ty den höga anslagskraften. Detta kan leda till erosiva skador och förtunning utav godset på tuberna och således förkortas livslängden på överhettarna. Optimeringen justerar sot sekvensen så att fullt ångtryck används bara i ena färdriktningen av lansen, detta möjliggör att en överlappande sotsekvens kan användas och på så vis halveras tidsåtgången för sotningen. Analysen utav kortare sottidsåtgång samt minskad ångförbrukning baserat på produktionsdata hämtad från styrsystemet 800xA samt fallstudier har mynnat ut i följande resultat. Hjälpkraftens energianvändning minskas med 14,25 MWh per sotningssekvens och årligen 7 115,5 MWh. Turbinen kan producera 2,51 MWh mer el vid varje sotning då tiden som den körs med reducerad last blir kortare, totalt på ett år blir det 1 254,39 MWh. Vid varje sotning sparas 24,03 ton ånga och på ett år 12 003 ton. Återbetalningstiden för optimeringen blir 1,01 år baserat på ett medelspotpris från Mälarenergis budgetering från förra året. Med hänsyn till dagens elpriser förkortas återbetalningstiden ytterligare.   Förstudien rekommenderar optimeringen då dels är investeringen lönsam rent ekonomiskt, dels medför den andra positiva fördelar. Optimeringen med överlappande sotning skapar ett jämnare ångflöde, det reducerar tryckstötar som är skadliga. Slitage på överhettartuber minskas då dem bara besprutas med högt tryck en gång i stället för två gånger per sotningssekvens. Behovsstyrd sotning skulle kunna implementeras upp till 3 gånger per dygn utan att det skulle kosta mer mot dagsläget där man stora 1,5 gånger per dygn.